Jerry Fuller, “Travelin’ Man” and “Young Girl” Songwriter, Dies at 85

Jerry Fuller, the songwriter and producer whose stellar career included such hits as “Travelin’ Man” for Ricky Nelson, “Young Girl” for Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, “Show and Tell” for Al Wilson and “Little Green Apples” for O.C. Smith, has died. He was 85.

Fuller died Thursday at his home in Sherman Oaks of complications from lung cancer, publicist Bobbi Marcus told The Hollywood Reporter.

Fuller’s first production for Puckett was the million-selling “Woman, Woman,” which was released in 1967 and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. He then wrote and produced the band’s next three multimillion sellers, “Young Girl,” “Lady Willpower” and “Over You” — all top 10 songs, too — as the band outsold The Beatles in 1968.

“What can I say about a guy whose vision defined my musical identity and destiny,” Puckett wrote in a statement. “What can ANYONE say about a man who gave SO much to SO many through his talents and efforts in the world of music. Thank you, Jerry! The world was a better place with you in it.”

Earlier, while touring with The Champs — best known for the party song “Tequila” — Fuller discovered Glen Campbell in 1960 and convinced the singer-guitarist to move to Los Angeles.

Campbell helped Fuller demo “Travelin’ Man,” which he had written for Sam Cooke. Nelson, however, wound up with it, and the song reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 in 1961.

Nelson would record 19 Fuller songs, including “Young World,” “It’s Up to You,” “A Wonder Like You” and “Congratulations,” in all.

Fuller also produced O.C. Smith’s rendition of “Little Green Apples,” which made it to No. 2 in 1968, and wrote and produced Wilson’s version of “Show and Tell,” which hit the top spot in 1974.

One of four kids, Fuller was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on Nov. 19, 1938. When he was 11, he and his brother Bill became The Fuller Bros., and their mom, Lola, had them singing a cappella at minstrel shows and jamborees.

After high school in 1957, Fuller recorded “I Found a New Love” for Lin Records and by 1958 finished his first album, Teenage Love.

He moved to Los Angeles in 1959 and worked as a demo singer, which led to a recording-songwriting contract with Gene Autry’s Four Star Music and Challenge Records. His first release for the label was “Betty My Angel,” followed by “Tennessee Waltz,” “The Place Where I Cry,” “Guilty of Loving You,” “I Get Carried Away” and “Shy Away.”

Jerry Fuller

Courtesy of Footprint Sound

Just as his career was taking off with “Travelin’ Man,” Fuller was drafted into the U.S. Army. He spent two years stationed in upstate New York, writing songs and entertaining the troops, then joined Four Star after the service to head its Manhattan office.

While at a nightclub in Albany, New York, Fuller was impressed with the house band, The Knickerbockers. He got them signed to a contract at Challenge, and his first record production would be their top-20 hit “Lies.”

After frontman Mark Lindsay left Paul Revere and the Raiders to go solo, Fuller produced his million-selling song “Arizona” in 1969 as well as his follow-ups “Miss America” and “Silver Bird.”

In the ‘70s, he formed companies with Moonchild Productions and the Fullness Music Co., working with such artists as Johnny Mathis and Mac Davis. He also embraced his Texas roots and began writing country songs with Ray Price, Reba McEntire and others.

Price recorded many of Fuller’s tunes, including “That’s All She Wrote,” “To Make a Long Story Short” and “Feet.” The songwriter’s other country hits include McEntire’s “I Still Long to Hold You Now and Then” and “That Makes Two of Us,” one of her duets with Jacky Ward.

Wilson’s “Show and Tell” made it to No. 1 on three genre lists and sold 3 million copies.

In 1982, Fuller produced Campbell’s Old Home Town album, which featured “I Love How You Love Me” and the Fuller-penned “A Woman’s Touch,” also a hit for Tom Jones that year.

Fuller wrote more than 1,100 songs, and artists who recorded his work included Gene Vincent, Bobby Vee, James Darren, Lawrence Welk, Lou Rawls, The Ventures, The Kingston Trio, Roy Clark, Cher, Ray Charles, Don McLean, Frankie Laine, Lynn Anderson, Barbara Mandrell, Vanessa Williams, Pat Boone, Engelbert Humperdinck, The Lettermen, Al Hirt, Percy Sledge and hundreds more.

In addition to his wife, Annette — Campbell introduced them and was the best man at their 1965 wedding — survivors include their children, Adam and Anna.